Voting-machine.



VOTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APB. 19, 1900.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO T. JOHNSON, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO U. S. STANDARD VOTING MACHINE CO., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VOTING-MACHIN E Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

To atl whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO T. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVoting-Machines; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, and the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improvement in theoperating mechanism of the voting machine described in the applicationof Angus McKenzie, #732,393, led Oct. 2, i899, and consisting of animproved stud carried by the voting key in such a manner that it cannever, under any circumstances, obstruct the action of the universal barupon the voting keyi v The accompanying drawings illustrate a singlesection of said voting machine as it is ordinarily built for the purposeof exhibition to show the construction and operation of the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the votingmachine showing the driving cam, the universal bar, the key and thecounter, together with the plate which carries all of the mechanism.Fig. 2 is a cross section of Fig. l on the line A, A. Fig. 3 is a detailview showing the manner of carrying the elliptical stud on the key. Fig.4 is the detail showing the cam by which the section of the machine isoperated. Figs. 5 and 6 show the detail of mounting the stud when itmust be carried immediately over the pin 20.

Similar reference numerals in the different figures indicate similarparts.

Reference numeral l refers to the plate upon which the section of themachine is built, and 2 refers to the sliding cam as carried between thepins 3 3 which act as guides for it and hold it in its movement to asingle longitudinal reciprocation. This sliding plate 2 has cut thereina cam having an ascending portion 4 and a descending portion 5. Theuniversal bar G is provided with a pin 7 which passes through the slot 8in the plate 2 and by means of the engagement therewith the universalbar 6 itself is reciprocated. The universal bar is held in place by awasher on the pin 7 on the far side of plate l, which washer is held onthe pin 7 by a cotter pin passing through a hole in the pin.

At the top the universal bar is held to longitudinal reciprocation bythe slot 8 which is cut in the plate l. and through which the pin 7extends, and on account of its engagement therewith the upper end of theuniversal bar cannot follow the cam plate in its reciprocation, butmoves only as it is raised or lowered by the cam 4 or 5. The universalbar 6 is provided with the cams 9, l() and ll for each voting key, bymeans of which the voting key is reciprocated on account of theengagement therewith of the stud l2.

The stud l2 is carried on a piece 19, which is pivoted on a yoke or key13 and when it is moved to voted position the stud l2 rests against theflat portion 14 of the universal bar, up to which time the counteritself has not.bee1i moved, The reciprocation of the universal bardrives the pallet l5 into the star wheel on the left hand side as theuniversal bar moves up, and drives the pallet 1G into the wheel on itsright hand side when it descends, thus completing one-tenth of arevolution and registering one number on the units counter wheel 17, andholding the counter itself locked when the count has been completed onthat counter.

Heretofore it has always been recognized as objectionable that in votinga key or scratching on that key, it might not reach either of itsextreme positions of voted or unvoted position, but might be left in anintermediate position so that the stud l2 might be directly opposite thepoint I8 on the universal bar. This is referred to for convenience assticking the point and stud on a dead center, and to reduce this to aminimum in ordinary practice the stud is ordinarily filed to a knifeedge and the point I8 is made as sharp as possible by filing it to aperfect point, but by my improved device it is absolutely impossible inthe operation of the machine to in any way bring these two parts to adead center, and the means which I employ to accomplish this purpose isdescribed as follows:

The stud l2 is carried on a pivoted piece I9 which is pivoted in turn onthe pin 2O which carries the interlocking finger' and which projectsfrom the other side of the key. A short slot 2l is cut in the yoke orkey concentric with the pivot'20, and within the limit of this slot thestud itself can have a sliding movement upward and forward and thereverse. In consequence of this if the stud should happen to be left ona dead center with the point I8, as the universal bar rises the studitself would be lifted along the arc marked by the slot 2l, which at thesame time would draw it forward off the center and having passed thecenter, the cam 9 on the universal bar would begin to move the keyforward thus taking it safely away from any danger of sticking on thecenter itself.

The stud -12 is riveted in the piece 19 and is placed upon the key byturning the stud so that it will pass through the slot 21, aiter whichthe piece 19 is given a partial turn suihcient to allow the pin 20 to bepassed through the opening 21 in the piece 19, after which the pin 2O isriveted to the key thus securely holding the stud on the key itself.Thus it will be seen that by my device a simple and very effective meansis afforded by which the key itself is positively driven by a cam whichmoves at right angles to the key, and yet the possibility ot the keybeing stuck on a dead center with said cam is completely eliminated.

In the Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown additional details and variations ofmounting the stud 12. In this case the stud 12 is carried immediatelyover the pin 20 and to permit its movement at an acute angle to the keyand tripping bar, the arm 19 is provided with a slot 22 cut therein sothat it may slide upon the pin 20 instead ot rocking around it. In thiscase the slot 22 may be cut straight or in a curve and inclined at anangle, as may also the slot 21 through the key, and these two slots maybe parallel with each other` or placed at an angle with each other, sothat in iact any movement desired may be secured. All oi these thingsbeing practically included within the spirit oi my invention.

It is further intended in the form shown in Fig. l, that the movement ofthe stud 12 shall be not more than about three siXty-iourths of an inch,and although it moves in the arc oi a circle for this small distance,its path is substantially a straight line. Either of these movements iswithin the spirit oi my invention as any movement which carries the pinupward and forward or upward and backward is within the spirit of myinvention,

It is preferred, however, to have the stud move in the direction shownin Fig. 1, tor in that case the stud will move in the direction in whichit will save a vote ii it is to any extent engaged with the universalbar. Ii it moved in the other direction it would disengage itself fromthe universal bar and the vote would be lost in consequence.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1A Thecombination in a voting machine, of a voting key, a universal bar foroperating the keys voted, and means carried by each key movableindependently of the key to prevent the obstruction of said universalbar in its movement.

2. '.lhe combination in a voting machine, of a voting key retractable bya voter to indicate a vote, a cam for operating it, said key and camreciprocating transversely of each other, and means carried by each keymovable independently of the keys to prevent the obstruction of the camby the movement of the key.

3. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, a universal barfor operating the keys voted, and an oscillating stud carried on eachkey to insure the operation of the bar on said key.

4. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key movable freelyinto and out of voted position, a stud carried on said key, and a camfor operating on said key through said stud, said stud having a movementon said key independent of said keyA 5. The combination in a votingmachine of a voting key, an arm pivoted on said key on one side, and astud carried on said pivoted arm projecting from the other side of saidkey, said key having a slot limiting the movement of said stud,

G, The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, an arm pivotedon one side of the key` and an oscillating stud carried on said armextending through and beyond the key, said Vkey having a slot limitingthe oscillating movement of said stud.

T. The combination in a voting machine of a Voting key, an arm pivotedon said key, and a stud carried by said arm, said stud having anoscillating movement independent of its key, which movement is limitedby a slot in said key.

S. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, an arm fastenedto said key, a stud carried on said arm, said stud being capable of anupward and forward move ment if caught on a dead center, so that it willnot remain there.

9. Tho combination in a voting machine of a voting key, a pin carried onsaid key, an arm capable of movement on said key controlled by said pinand a slot in said key, a stud carried on said arm, and driving meansfor said stud, said stud having an upward and forward movement by meansot' which it is carried ott of a dead center by said driving means.

10. The combination in a voting machine of a key longitudinally movableto voted position, a cam reciprocating transversely to said key, saidkey being reciprocated to operate and lock the counter, said cam drivingsaid key through a stud carried on said key, and said stud having amovement independent of its key by means of which it is prevented fromobstructing the movement of its cam.

11. The combination in a voting machine of counter actuating means, areciprocating device to impart movement to said counter actuating means,said means and said device reciprocating transversely to each other, andmeans carried by said counter actuating means by` which it may beengaged or disengaged with said reciprocating device, said means beingmovable relatively to said counter actuatingl means to automaticallyadjust itself with said i'eciprocating device.

l2. The combination in a voting machine of a counter actu-ating device,a reciprocating device for operating said counter' actuatingl device,said devices reciprocating across each other, and means carried by saidcounter actuating device for engaging or disengaging it with itsreciprocating device, said means having a short oscillating movement atan acute angle with the line of motion of the counter actuating devicewhereby it can engage with but not obstruct the movement of saidreciprocating device.

13. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, an arm carriedon said key, and a stud carried on said arm, said stud having a shortmovement at an angle of 45 degrees to the line of motion of the key.

14. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, an arm carriedon said key, and a stud carried on said arm, said stud having a movementat an acute angle to the line of movement of the key, said movementbeingl limited by a slot in said key.

l5. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, an arm on saidkey and a stud mounted on said arm having an independent movement at anacute angle to the line of movement of the key.

16. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, a stud mountedon said key, and driving means for said voting key said stud having anindependent movement at an acute angle to the line of movement of saiddriving means.

1T. The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, a stud mountedon said key, and driving means for said key, said stud having anindependent movement across the line of movement of said driving means,

18A The combination in a voting machine of a voting key, movable freelyinto and out of voted position, means for driving said key to operatethe counter when placed in voted position and a stud mounted on said keyengaging said driving means, said stud having an independent movement atan acute angie to the line of movement of the key and the line ofmovement of said driving means.

19. The combination in a voting machine of a voting` key, an armfastened to said key, a stud carried on said arm, said stud beingcapable of an upward and lateral movement if caught on a dead center,and reciprocating means adapted to engage said stud after the movementof the key.

20. The combination in a voting machine of a voting l() key, and a studmounted on said key, said stud having an upward and a lateral movementrelative to its key.

In testimony whereof, I ax my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' OTTO T. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

Omva G. WADE, FRANK KEIPEP..

